This invention relates to telecommunications apparatus and, in particular, to network interface units and building entrance protector units.
Network interface units constitute the demarcation between the customer's equipment and the telephone network. In buildings including multiple subscribers, the interface unit is typically mounted in a basement and includes an array of customer bridges, each bridge being coupled to an individual subscriber line. The bridges are coupled to the phone network through an RJ11 jack and plug so that the customer can plug a working phone into the jack to determine if any problems lie in the customer or network side of the telecommunications system.
Network interface units typically also include a building entrance protector portion which comprises a cable splice chamber and a protector field for providing surge protection for each customer. Such units usually require a large amount of wall space, which may not be readily available, especially if additional units are required to increase capacity.
Many buildings presently include only a building entrance protector unit without the network interface portion. When it is desired to upgrade the unit, the customer is generally forced to buy a completely new unit including both protector and network interface portions.